


What if we Rewrite the Stars?

by felicityollies



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Acrobatics, Alternate Universe - Circus, Angst, Circus, F/M, Strangers, Strangers to Lovers, The Greatest Showman, Trapeze
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-28
Updated: 2018-08-28
Packaged: 2019-03-10 15:27:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13504380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/felicityollies/pseuds/felicityollies
Summary: they come from two different worlds, never meant to mix. she a poor circus performer and he a rich playboy. he finds her intriguing, but she doesn’t trust him. how can they rewrite the stars and make things work between them?





	1. The Starling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have wanted to do this since i saw the greatest showman. like everything i do i have to put my own spin on it, so it’s more modern, but definitely inspired by the beautiful movie and characters.
> 
> honestly i'm so pleased with how the first chapter came out and i'm excited to play with the family dynamic of the circus folk. y'all have no idea!!!

The scent of popcorn and cotton candy filled the air. Children and adults alike screamed with excitement. An old theater filled with people all seated in an almost perfect circle. A large man stood on a maroon platform in the middle of a red and gold ring. He commanded the area with his words and his smile. His red coat, black pants, and top hat told everyone he was the circus king, the ring leader.

“I’m John Diggle,” he called out to the crowd, “But you can call me Digg,” he gave them a charming smile and tapped his hat with a cane.

She watched the first few acts from the side as she did every night. The energy of the theater sent a thrill through her. It was electric; it was exhilarating. People stomping their feet and clapping their hands as they watched the circus performers. Lion tamers and sword swallowers. The world’s strongest man, balancing the ring leader’s platform on his hand while John was still on it.

“And now for The Starling and Black Canary, the flying trapeze!”

She swallowed and began her climb up to the pedestal board. It was silly for a trapeze artist to get nervous about being high up, but sometimes she still felt a twinge of fear when it came to heights. She reminded herself, she had the most amazing partner, who would never let her fall. The Starling stood on the board, barefoot and pink toes which matched the glittering pink outfit she wore. She stared out at her partner The Black Canary in her sparkling black costume. Their black and pink costumes contrasting, but complimenting each other perfectly. They wore skin tight bodysuits, making it easier to bend and move to do their stunts. Dinah stared back at her, her brown hair pulled back into a tight ponytail identical to her blonde one. They both gave a nod and gripped onto their bars.

_One. Two. Three._

_Breathe._

A deep intake of breath and she swung forward on the trapeze. Air rushed past her face. Toes pointed, she swung her entire body up. As her body came backwards, the world below her came into view. John waved at her and she winked. Dinah flipped around hanging from her trapeze bar from her legs. She motioned with her hands for her to let go. With one more swing forward, Felicity did just that.

She was falling, no flying through the air. Her heart pounded in her ears. For a moment nothing seemed real. Everyone held their breath for those few seconds until Dinah’s hands firmly clasped onto her wrists. They swung and suddenly she stood on the opposite platform from where she had been only a minute ago. The room filled with applause. She could feel it in her chest. It was music to her ears. She lived for this moment when everyone clapped for them, for her.

Felicity turned on her heel and waved to the audience. Dinah slipped up onto the bar, sitting and waving.

They performed a few more tricks before climbing down and bowing for the audience. By the time she was out of sight, she was out of breath.

“Good job,” Dinah said, pulling her in for a hug.

“You always say that.”

“Yeah, but it’s not every night we’re back in Star City.”

Felicity nodded. The circus hadn’t been back in the city in a long while. It’d been touring, picking up new acts for a couple years, but now it was back. John Diggle’s hometown. She knew he was glad to be home and she was happy for him. Dinah handed her a cold bottle of water and she happily took it. She leaned in to see the rest of the show.

“He’s gonna call you up again,” Rene’s voice startled her.

“Why do you do that?” Dinah smacked him in the arm.

“Ow,” he glared at her.

“It’s fine,” Felicity shook her head, “We talked about it already, Rene,” she stuck her tongue out at him and he returned the favor.

“Who wants to see our favorite Starling again?” John’s voice filled the theater.

She swallowed thickly.

“I can’t hear you!”

The amount of cheers always sent a rush of warmth through her. She ran back into the ring, waving and smiling at the audience. Dinah wasn’t going to join her, no this was her act. It was dangerous, thrilling, and sometimes a little nerve racking.

A hoop came down from the ceiling.

“No net,” John said, “No partner or strings,” he waved his hand over her head.

She sat on the hoop and it began to raise. A soft music filled the room. The smile never left her face. As the excitement and the adrenaline took over everything was okay. She twisted her body around the hoop. Under it, over it, and around it. She hooked her hooked her knees around the bar and hung from it. The hoop moved through the theater and above the crowd.

Every eye was on her.

The hoop came to an almost jarring stop. She dropped, only hanging with one leg, startling a young man in front of her.

Felicity reached out towards him with one hand. The other grabbed onto the hoop. Time slowed as she met his gaze. The music became a dull hum in the background. 

“Don’t worry,” she whispered.

He stared back at her with beautiful blue eyes. The man couldn’t have been much older than she, mid twenties. He was handsome, conventionally so. Just as he was about to reach towards her the hoop moved back. She took in a breath, watching him pull away. She finished her act and the hoop was brought back down. Once again she received thunderous applause.

* * *

“You’d think these people would find something better to do.”

Felicity frowned, closing up her book, _The Shining_ by Stephen King one of her favorites. She sat curled up in her bed. Pillows pushed against the wall and a warm green blanket covering her legs and feet. She eyed her friend, partner, and roommate. Dinah leaned on the window sill. She dressed entirely in black, as she usually did. Her features were twisted into a scowl at something down below. Their room sat a couple floors above the theater and had a good view of the city outside. However, it seemed the view that day was not that great.

“There’s people here to pray for us again. Do they have a phone tree? Do they just call each other up in every goddamn city?” she snapped.

Felicity rolled her eyes, but didn’t move to look. Part of her understood when people came to protest because of the animals, although if they cared to look they’d know all of their animals were well cared for. But there were people who prayed for the unwanted circus freaks. She didn’t want their prayers or their pity.

“At least they aren’t yelling at us to leave,” she mumbled.

“If anyone even looks at you funny, I’ll come after them,” she practically growled. 

The last time she and Dinah turned down someone’s prayers, she’d told them they were Jewish and didn’t want nor need their thoughts. The next day, she’d been spat at as if it were the 1940s. She knew antisemitism was alive and well, but it didn’t make it hurt any less every time she faced it.

Felicity knew she should just ignore them. Whether they hated her because she was Jewish, or poor, or a circus freak. It didn’t matter. She was among a group of people of all races, religions, and creeds. They were her family and had been for a very long time.

“You see ‘em too,” Rene said, walking into their room.

He walked into every room like he was allowed to be there. In his jersey and his baggy pants, he came in and sauntered up to the window. He held in his hands a bucket of popcorn from the previous night.

“Watch this,” he chucked a few pieces out the window.

He and Dinah both ducked down like children about to be caught. They peered over the edge of the window slowly, chuckling quickly.

Felicity raised a brow at them.

“Do it again,” Dinah whispered.

Rene threw a handful this time.

“We’re just here to help you!” someone shouted.

Rene and Dinah snorted. Felicity carefully slipped out of bed and crawled towards them. She leaned up on her knees to look out the window. A small group of people this time. They were older, as they usually were. She didn’t understand why people thought they needed saving. Their lives in the circus… there was nothing wrong with it. They were performers, they had fun, and there was nothing wrong with that. Maybe they were different. But so what? So what if she could twist her body and fly. Who cared if they could swallow swords and eat fire? Why did it bother them if a woman could grow a beard or if Rene could tame a lion? They weren’t freaks and they didn’t need to be saved.

“Go away,” Felicity yelled, throwing a handful of popcorn.

Someone cleared their throat behind them.

They yelped, whipping around to see Diggle standing in the doorway, crossing his arms.

“Well, gotta go,” Rene got up, leaving his popcorn behind and slipping past John with only slight effort.

Dinah said nothing as she followed Rene out the door.

Felicity sat there, the youngest of the three, left with the blame as usual. She sighed heavily, but didn’t bother to explain herself. Pushing herself up, she handed him the bucket of stale popcorn. He just shook his head and set it aside. 

“Felicity,” he sighed in that tone he used when he was _disappointed not angry_.

Twenty-one years old and he still managed to make her feel like she was seven. She looked down and bit her lower lip. He put his hands on her shoulders, making his olive green jacket tighten against his arms.

“You have terrible aim,” he chuckled.

She cracked a smile, “You couldn’t even see,” she met his warm gaze, “And the first ones weren’t even me.”

He smiled, “I was sitting in my office and all of a sudden I see popcorn raining down on bible thumpers.”

She giggled.

“Somehow I knew I would find the source up here,” he shook his head again, “You still really shouldn’t start crap with them.”

“Rene,” Felicity started.

“I know. You want to make him feel bad?”

“Of course,” she said it as if it were a ridiculous question.

They turned to leave the room with John at her heels. “And another thing young lady, you’re going to be spending the next _week_ washing the windows outside. Not a single spot,” his voice echoed in the hallway.

“Not a spot,” she repeated her voice wavering.

“Now run along,” he muttered, “I heard Lyla is cooking up something for lunch,” he whispered the last half in her ear.

As she was running down the stairs, she heard Rene calling after John. She knew John wouldn’t actually make anyone clean the windows as a punishment, not for throwing popcorn like that, but it tickled her pink to make Rene feel guilty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> let me know what you think!
> 
> tumblr & twitter: felicityollies


	2. The Prince of Star City

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh my god this chapter was fighting with me, but i hope it turned out okay!

Queen Production company. The largest production company in Star City, possibly the surrounding areas. They specialized in the performing arts and considering Washington was fairly well known for its liberal arts, they were never without clients. Their job as a production company was to raise money for various productions, but they also budgeted, scheduled, scripted, marketed, and sourced talent. It was a tough job, but somebody had to do it.

Oliver Queen sat at his desk, feet propped on the sleek white desk, he leaned back in his ergonomic black chair. Everything in his office was modern and minimalist, from the desk to the matching sharp white bookcase behind him. It held a few knicknacks and a single plant, a cactus which was nearly impossible for him to kill. The room had a slightly cold feeling, there was no warmth of colors or personality, but Oliver liked it that way.

He interlaced his fingers behind his head and let out a slow breath through his nose.

“Oliver,” his mother’s voice echoed through his office, “Why aren’t you ready to leave?”

“Where am I going?” he quirked a brow.

She scowled, but before any words could leave her lips, Oliver’s little sister, Thea, came around Moira. “You’re taking me to the circus,” Thea said.

The twelve year old beamed up at him. He looked from his sister to his mother and knew immediately there was no way he could weasel out of this. His sister was the baby of the family, fourteen years younger than he, god he did love her, but having his free time taken away to go to a circus was the last thing he wanted.

“I don’t know if I have time,” he tried anyway. He slid his feet off his desk and pretended to search through his date book.

“Nice try, Oliver,” his mother continued, “I already checked with your assistant and you are free tonight.”

He deflated, “I did have plans with Tommy.”

“You and Tommy spend every night at Verdant. You can give up one night of debauchery to spend with your sister.”

He held back an eye roll, “Alright.”

“Yay!” Thea bounced, “It’s the first night the circus is back in town. Everyone is talking about it.”

Moira’s eyes lifted to the ceiling and she shook her head when Thea wasn’t looking. Oliver knew very well what his mother thought of that kind of entertainment. If it wasn’t the theater or a certain kind of film it was below her. Below the company and she wanted nothing to do with it. A circus was considered some of the lowest. The only thing that might be lower would be street performers and mimes. Though, she definitely wasn’t fond of any kind of comedian either.

“Freaks,” she mouthed and sighed.

He glanced away from her and back to Thea. She was as excited as he’d ever seen her. He may not want to go to the circus, but if their mother was willing to let Thea go, he had better not ruin this opportunity.

“I expect you to bring her home before nine,” Moira patted the top of Thea’s head.

Oliver nodded, “Of course.”

He slid from his desk and walked to the other side.

“Ollie, you need some color in your office,” Thea muttered as she took his hand.

“I’ll think about it.”

* * *

Oliver glanced up at the large building. Posters hung around it, displaying the different acts they would see inside. A strong man, a bearded woman, siamese twins, a lion tamer, and sword swallower just to name a few.

“Alex at school told me that Hannah saw the sword swallower practicing and the sword was huge,” the twelve year old stretched her arms out wide, “And it disappeared right down his throat.”

He couldn’t help but chuckle. Even if this wasn’t his scene it might be worth it just because his sister was having fun already.

“Alright, let’s get you something to eat, speedy.”

He purchased a hot dog for Thea from a vendor outside the Circus building, but declined to get one for himself out of fear of getting ketchup and mustard on his suit. The man selling the food seemed to recognize him, it wouldn’t have surprised Oliver in the least. Queen Productions was well known as was his family. He was a CEO and contracted some of the best shows and talents in the city. But if the man recognized him, he didn’t say anything.

“You’re going to starve,” she said with a mouthful of hot dog.

“I’ll get popcorn later,” he waved her off.

He would be lying if he said his diet didn’t mainly consist of the occasional piece of fruit on the way out of his apartment and several glasses of whisky at night.

“Ollie?” a male voice came from behind him.

Oliver internally cringed.

“Now what is the prince doing at the circus?” Tommy, his best friend, smacked him on the shoulder, “Shouldn’t you be at the bar, whisking some sweet girl away?”

“I’m here with my sister,” he thumbed towards Thea.

Thea narrowed her eyes at Tommy, but continued to eat her dinner.

“My bad.”

“Shouldn’t you be watching Verdant?”

Tommy shook his head, “Manager can take care of it. Laurel thought it would be interesting to see the show, but I definitely didn’t think I would be seeing you here.”

“Mhmm, we’re going to go get our tickets and find our seats.”

“Why don’t we sit with you?” Tommy grinned.

Oliver wasn’t sure if it was a good idea for Tommy and Laurel to sit with him and Thea, but it couldn’t be that bad.

They all bought their tickets and sat down. The room was large, almost completely surrounded with chairs. They sat nearly in the middle between the highest and the lowest seats. Perfect. The ring was set before them, platforms and dangling props, all in colors of red and gold. Everything was ready for the show.

The room slowly filled with people. Some of them glanced his way. He knew he was going to hear about this later. It was his mother’s idea, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t get shit anyway. Bad publicity. As Tommy had said, though teasingly, he was called the prince. He was handsome, rich, powerful, and he did well with the ladies. People knew him well. Or they thought they did. If anyone said a bad word about him being there that night, he was going to have a mess to clean up the next day.

He glanced at Thea, bouncing her seat excitedly, it would be worth it.

Lights dimmed and a spotlight focused in on a tall man in the middle of the ring. His voice boomed through the room. He commanded the audience and pulled them in. Oliver leaned back into his seat, crossing his arms. He refused to let himself be pulled in. This was for Thea, not for him. He watched the show, but mostly kept his eyes on his sister, watching her reactions.

It wasn’t until one of the trapeze artists was slamming to a stop in front of him did he really pay attention. She startled him as she dropped to one leg and hung above his face. Everything seemed to drift away around them. The music in the background became nothing but a soft hum. The other people disappeared. He looked up into her crystal blue eyes.

She grabbed onto the hoop with one hand and reached out towards him with the other. He must have looked distressed because she whispered, “Don’t worry.”

The woman was so beautiful. A sweet smile graced her plump and pink lips. Her eyes seemed to sparkle in the spotlight. He reached towards her. Their fingers barely brushed as she was pulled away from him. When she was gone, he let out a breath he had no idea he was holding. The world sped back up again. His ears filled with a thunderous applause, but he sat there in shock.

Tommy pulled his hand back for him, “Geez, man.”

“Who was that?” he whispered.

“The Starling.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think!


	3. Repercussions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and we're back.... continuing with Oliver's POV and it's uh not very happy. Apologies.

Oliver had barely sat down at his desk when his mother came in and slammed a newspaper down in front of him.

“You were seen,” she spat.

He didn’t have to look at her face to know she was angry. He’d heard that tone a hundred times before. His eyes moved down to the newspaper.

_Prince of Star City takes a night off at The Diggle Brother’s Circus._

He sighed. Part of him really hated that nickname. A big part of him.

“You asked me to go, I don’t know why you’re angry,” he said as calmly as possible.

“The least you could have done is stay out of sight,” Moira shook her head.

His mother was acting as if this was all his doing. She wanted him to go to the circus with Thea and now they were facing the consequences. What did she really expect to come from this? If she didn’t give everything Thea wanted then maybe they wouldn’t be in this mess, but lord knows if he said anything about it he would never hear the end of it. He couldn’t say anything about her or his father’s parenting skills.

Thea was doing well, so it wasn’t like they were doing a poor job, but right now he was very frustrated.

“Next time I take Thea somewhere, I’ll wear a hood and a mask,” he snapped.

“Don’t use that tone with me Oliver,” she snatched up the paper again, “You know what kind of business we run. Because of your complacency people are talking. We’ve gotten phone calls from _street performers_ of all people who want a chance to be a part of Queen Productions.”

Twenty-six years old and he could feel himself shrinking in his seat. Most days he was on his mother’s good side. He could bring in clients and he was good at his job; he knew how to create the kind of PR that brought people to shows, raise money, and find investors. But now he sat their shrivelling under his mother’s gaze. The anger and disappointment washed over him. He was never going to be good enough for her was he? It didn’t matter how many hours of blood, sweat, and tears he put into this company.

The blame fell on him and he had to deal with it.

“I’ll fix it,” he said, “Send everyone my way and I’ll fix it. I’ll call the newspaper. I’ll talk to anyone who is spreading lies about us taking new clients,” he sighed, “I’ll fix it.”

Moira let out a long breath, “Good.”

Without another word, she turned on her heel and left his office. Oliver put his elbows on his desk and his face in his hands. This was going to be an extremely long day.

* * *

Hours of seeing hopeful people. Hopeful faces wanting to be a part of upcoming shows Queen Productions had a hand in. Oliver had to say, “No,” to every single one of them. He had to watch the hope drain from their eyes and slowly fill with disappointment and sadness. This was part of his job description. He’d done it before, but not on this scale. He lost track of how many people came in and out of his office that day. Lost track of how many people burst into tears in front of him.

How was he supposed to know going to the circus with his little sister would give the entire city the wrong idea? The article about him spoke about the possibility of Queen Productions opening their doors to more talent. None of the Queens were ever seen out at shows unless it was the theater or film, so he guessed it wasn’t much of a stretch to make the assumption, but it still sucked.

He shuffled out of the building, the world weighing down on him. There was only so much sadness he could take. But he had a feeling there would be more tomorrow. More people he had to crush. And he hadn’t even gotten the chance to call the reporter of the article to make a statement.

“Oliver Queen?” a female voice came from behind.

God, it just didn’t stop. “Yes?” he turned.

A woman with medium length brown hair stood before him. She wore a dark blue leather jacket, a black tank top, and equally dark jeans and boots. She crossed her arms across her chest.

“You got a second?” it sounded aggressive.

“Not really,” he sighed.

“I’ve been waiting out here for an hour for you,” she continued, “I need to talk.”

“If you’re here about the article, we’re not taking new clients.”

She paused, “I just want to talk,” her voice lowered and her brows knitted together. Not confusion, but anger.

“Fine,” he muttered, “We’ll walk and talk.” He started walking again and she quickly moved to keep pace.

“You were at the circus last night,” she stated.

He held in another sigh, “Yes.”

“You like it?”

It was his turn to pause on the sidewalk. No one had asked him that yet. “Part of it, why?”

“Good enough.”

“Who are you?” he turned towards her.

“Dinah Drake,” she met his gaze, “Black Canary.”

He took him a moment to put the pieces together, “You’re the Starling’s partner.”

“So that’s the part you liked,” she gave a knowing grin.

He rolled his eyes, “What do you want?” he kept walking.

Dinah’s boots clicked beside him, “What makes you think I want something?”

“Everyone wants something.”

“Ain’t that the truth.”

He sighed again.

“Look, maybe I just wanted to talk to you,” that aggressive tone was back.

“I don’t believe that.”

“I wanted to talk to you. That’s what I wanted.”

“Well, you got what you wanted. You can leave now,” he stopped in front of an old bar.

She eyed him and then the building behind him, “What if I had more to say?” she put her hands on her hips.

“Do you?”

He could see a flicker of hesitation in her eyes. She was stalling him and he couldn’t understand why. It was already late at night and the streets were practically empty. What could she be holding him out here for?

“No… and I knew this was a stupid idea,” she muttered. He knew the last part wasn’t for him.

Dinah waved her hand dismissively and walked away from him. He shook his head. His eyes moved up to the sign above the bar. _Carlyle’s_. The place had been there for decades. It was a dive, but Oliver didn’t care. The greying bartender knew him, knew his drink, and didn’t ask questions when he wanted to stay past two o’clock.

He pushed the door open; it creaked just slightly. The bar was dimly lit with a few hanging lights that could use some dusting. A pool table sat in one corner, another held an old jukebox which was currently playing some old rock song from the 70s. He liked it. Tables and stools were scattered throughout the place. Only one or two regulars were still hanging out that night. Oliver sat down at the bar across from an older man, he had a bald spot on the top of his head and short hairs sticking out at the sides. He looked at Oliver with his one good eye, squinting with the other as he set the glass down. He poured the drink and slid him a scotch, neat. Oliver downed it quickly.

“I haven’t seen you here in awhile,” he said, his voice rough with age and years of smoking cigars.

“It’s been a rough night,” Oliver pushed the glass back towards him, “Miss me, Phil?”

The man chuckled just enough to make himself cough a little, “Who wouldn’t miss you, kid,” he shook his head.

Phil teased, but Oliver never felt judged when he was there. It was what made him choose Carlyle’s over Verdant that evening. He could have gone to Verdant like he always did, drowned himself in some high dollar alcohol and left with a stranger. God knows he could have lost himself in someone else’s bed. The comfort of alcohol and pleasure was always there for him, but that night it didn’t seem like the answer.

He just wanted to sit in a quiet bar and lose himself without another person. There was a part of him that felt stupid. He had everything he could ever want. Money, power, and access to women and men of his choosing. He could party if he wanted to, could buy anything he wanted to, and shouldn’t that in itself make him happy? What did a rich guy really have to be sad about?

He swallowed thickly as he stared down at his empty glass, “Keep ‘em coming, Phil.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> let me know what you think!
> 
> tumblr: sydneyhallers  
> twitter: felicityollies  
> curious cat: felicityollies


	4. Broken Hearts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dinah is crude but we love her ok and as i continue to write this i realize how angsty it is and i haven’t even gotten to the worst parts yet. also i apologize it’s short and the first few chapters have been slow going, but it’s definitely going to pick up pace next chapter.

“You sent me down there and then you didn’t even go!” Dinah slammed her hand down onto one of the large dining tables.

“I sent you to get information,” John said, “I didn’t say it was a sure thing.” 

“You should have sent Felicity.”

Felicity startled at the mention of her own name. She leaned around the kitchen door a little more, watching them carefully. All she knew was Dinah had gone out late last night on some kind of secret mission for John. She didn’t like not being in the know. Mysteries… they needed to be solved.

Digg’s eyebrows went up.

“He has a hardon for her.”

John leaned back, giving her that look, the one that made everyone squirm. She frowned but didn’t back down. Not all the way. Dinah had a thing about letting men get under her skin. Even her boss. Maybe, especially her boss.

“Fine, bad choice of words, but it’s true.”

“You were with him for ten minutes,” he muttered.

“Her part was the only bit of the show he remembered. You should have sent her in on this little reconnaissance mission. We didn’t learn anything anyway.”

“If you’re going to keep talking about Felicity we might as well invite her in.”

They both looked towards the door. She startled again. John was too good at that. Then again, he had been a part of her life since the moment she was born. Her parents had been performers in the circus long ago. Very long ago. She stepped into the room.

“What is going on?” she asked.

“The circus is failing,” Dinah said without missing a beat.

“What?” she looked between them both.

“Be calm and keep your voice down,” John hissed, “I don’t want everyone to start panicking,” he took in a deep breath, “One of the reasons we came back to Star City is because we’re not doing as well as we could be.”

Dinah shook her head.

“We’re not making the same money we used to,” he said.

“How did you find out about this?”

“I heard John and Lyla talking one night.”

“You involved yourself which is why you get to help. Eavesdroppers are required to assist,” he looked pointedly at Felicity.

She swallowed thickly, but if the circus was suffering she wanted to help. This place, these people, they were her home. She was born into it and hadn’t known anything else. This was her world and she’d be damned if she let it fall. As if he could see it in her eyes, John wrapped his hand around hers and squeezed.

“We’re going to be okay,” he promised.

“What are we going to do?”

“We’re trying to get Oliver Queen’s attention,” Dinah said, “So far, you’re the only one who seems to be able to do it.”

“The prince? Why him?”

“He’s got the skills to bring in more people,” John said.

Felicity didn’t really believe he would help them or could. She didn’t trust anyone outside of the circus to help them. After everything she had seen from people. The hatred and pity. She didn’t want him to help.

“Isn’t there anything else we can do?”

He shook his head, “I’m afraid not.”

“Then…. then you’re not thinking hard enough. We don’t need outside help. All we need to do is band together and… and I don’t know raise circus awareness!”

John looked at her with pity filled eyes. He looked at her like an adult looked at a child when their dreams were too big. When they were only setting themselves up for disappointment. She didn’t want his pity; she wanted him to believe they could do this without Oliver’s help.

She swallowed thickly. Tears burned in her eyes.

“Felicity, we’re doing this for the better of our family,” John squeezed her hand again.

She pulled from his grasp, “He’s not going to help us.”

Felicity pulled away from both of them and ran towards her room. How could they think this was a good idea? Bringing in a stranger. A rich, normal stranger who could probably give a damn about them. Who cares if he supposedly had a crush on her? That meant nothing, and she didn’t feel comfortable using the little fact to her advantage anyway.

But god, this was her home. Her family. Everything she knew and loved was at risk. If they didn’t make enough money to keep the circus going, to keep everyone fed and clothed, then they would all have to leave. She had no place to go. No other family. John and Lyla were all she had known since she was seven years old.

Felicity curled up in her bed, clutching her pillow to her chest tightly. A few tears escaped her, rolling down her cheeks.

She couldn’t let the circus go down. There was no way any of them would survive out in the real world.

“Felicity?” Dinah stepped into their room. Her voice was softer than usual, “Are you okay?”

“No,” she sniffled, “But I’m going to deal with it. What do you and John need me to do?”

“Just be you.”

“What does that mean?” she sat up more, blinking her sad blue eyes up at her.

“Digg is going to go work is circus magic,” she wiggled her fingers, “And get him here and you just need to be… you. We’re not pimping you out or something.”

“That’s what it sounded like,” she muttered.

“Sorry,” she rubbed the back of her neck, “Neither of us would do that to you.”

“Silver lining.”

Dinah rolled her eyes, “You know we wouldn’t do that to you. Everyone here loves you.”

She sighed heavily and nodded, squeezing her pillow tight.

The other woman sat down on the bed beside her, “If that Queen guy tries anything with you without your permission, I’ll nail him in the nads. Or hang him from our equipment…. Not by the ankles.”

“Why does everything have to be balls with you?” she scrunched her nose at Dinah.

“Because it’s fun,” she snatched the pillow away and smacked Felicity with it, “Digg is gone, and we have rehearsal. We need to practice our new routine, so get changed.”

“Alright.”

Felicity sighed, but she guessed sometime in the ring would help her clear her head. Or at least get her ready for Oliver’s arrival. If he did come that is. This was such a mess already. She was getting herself worked up over a guy that might not even show up and she didn’t even know which was worse. Him showing up or him turning them away? Why did the fate of her home and family rest in the hands of one man?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> let me know what you think!
> 
> tumblr & twitter: felicityollies


	5. I don't Pick up Peanut Shells

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _i live among the swells, and we don't pick up peanut shells..._ i’ve been waiting for what seems like forever to write this chapter. The Other Side is one of my favorite scenes/songs from the movie and i just knew it would be perfect in this fic.

Another night at Carlyle’s. Oliver leaned on the bar with his second glass of scotch in his hand. He finally got around to calling the newspaper. The conversation between him and the reporter had gotten… ugly to say the least. His day didn’t end with the phone call. He still had people to turn away. It was going to be like this until the reporter printed the retraction. They could have easily gone the social media route, but the reporter seemed happy to extend Oliver’s torment.

He could handle it. Oliver reminded himself he had a good life. Money, friends, and a loving family. There was nothing he had to complain about.

The bell on Carlyle’s door rung, but Oliver didn’t look up. He finished off his drink and waited for Phil to bring a third. Whoever had come through the door and sat down beside him. There were several empty seats in the bar and yet they felt the need to sit beside Oliver. He sighed and glanced at them out of the corner of his eye. A large man bent over just slightly on the bar. He was dressed casually, but a little nicer than the usual folk in the bar. Not that Oliver had any room to speak about clothing when he was sitting there in his suit from work.

His gaze moved forward when his third drink was slid in front of him.

“What is Oliver Queen doing down here?” the man asked.

Great.

“Why do you care?” Oliver practically spat.

He knocked back his drink and slid it away.

“I’m interested in your work,” he said.

He sighed again and leaned back, “Look, I’ve spent all day telling people Queen Productions isn’t taking any new clients. I don’t want to do it in my off hours.”

“I didn’t say anything about Queen Productions,” the man turned to face him. He seemed vaguely familiar.

“Who are you?”

“John Diggle of the Diggle Brothers circus,” he held out his hand.

He stared at John’s hand for a moment, “You sent one of your people to harass me yesterday.”

John pulled back his hand, “I apologize for her behavior,” he glanced to the bartender and signaled him to give them both a drink.

Oliver glanced at the fourth scotch and then back to John. He decided he was going to need the alcohol to deal with this man. His hand wrapped around the short glass and he knocked back the drink.

“What do you want?” he asked as the alcohol burned its way down his throat.

“I want you to work with me.”

“In the circus?” Oliver laughed bitterly.

“It’s obvious you’re not happy where you’re at.”

“You just met me.”

John looked him up and down, “You’re sitting in a bar at midnight.”

“So?”

“You’re alone and trapped.”

Oliver frowned, “I’m not. I’m perfectly fine where I’m at.”

John knocked back his own drink and ordered two more, “Are you truly happy, Oliver? Or are you a caged bird, working for your mother?”

His chest tightened. Who the hell was this guy? How could he pick him apart so easily after only knowing him for a few minutes? Was he just that easy to read? No. He wasn’t unhappy. He was fine. He lived his own life. Right? He swallowed thickly and downed the alcohol. Oliver closed his eyes and savored the burn this time.

“Everyone knows the Prince spends his free time partying, but not many see you this way. Drowning your sorrows in a dive,” John continued, “You’re hiding away.”

“Stop,” Oliver whispered.

“I want to help you,” he said, “Come work for me. You’d be free of Queen Productions. Free to do what you wanted. You could be happy.”

“I’m fine.”

Another drink came his way. He stared at it for a long moment before picking it up. Too many more and he was going to be on his way to getting shit faced. He didn’t want that, but the alcohol was doing a good job of dulling his feelings. How many nights did he spend drowning himself this way? Was he nothing but a trapped animal under his mother’s thumb? Apparently the whole world could see it. _The Prince_ partying his nights away or drowning himself in alcohol, alone in the dark.

“I can’t work in the circus,” he said, “I’ll be a joke.”

“You’ll be my partner,” John said, “You’ll be your own boss.”

Oliver licked his lips.

“Don’t make a decision just yet, come by the circus tonight,” he continued, “Come see what you could be a part of.”

He swallowed thickly. Maybe it was the scotch, but he found himself sliding off the barstool without a second thought; he was twenty-six years old, not a child his mother could control. He paid for both their drinks and motioned for John to lead the way; he decided to ignore just how eager and excited the other man seemed.

One cab ride later and he was standing outside the same building he had brought Thea to only days ago. The same place that had gotten him into trouble. He thought about how angry his mother had been and only grew frustrated. Oliver didn’t deserve her anger. He didn’t care if he wasn’t supposed to be there. 

“C’mon,” John said, leading him inside.

He followed.

“Some are sleeping, but some are up practicing,” he walked towards the ring.

There was a man swallowing a sword and a woman bending herself into a pretzel. It was intimidating, yet he found it fascinating. He stopped, his breath catching in his throat. The Starling sat on a lowered hoop. She wore tight shorts and matching sports bra, leg warmers, and the brightest smile he had ever seen. She was laughing along with another woman. Her partner, the woman who had harassed him the previous night. He stood there, his heart beating rapidly in his chest.

She noticed him blatantly staring and looked towards him. The two ladies said something to each other before she slid off the hoop and started walking towards him. She walked lightly with a slight sway of her hips. It was hard for him not to notice the curves of her body.

He swallowed hard.

“You must be Oliver,” she said sweetly, “I’m Felicity. Felicity Smoak,” she held out her hand for him.

“Hi,” he breathed out. He reached for her hand, shaking gently.

She was just as beautiful as he remembered. The buzz of the alcohol through him and the butterflies in his stomach made him feel like some kind of school boy mess. He ran his fingers through his hair.

“So, I hear you might be joining us,” she said.

“Is that what they’re saying?”

“Maybe,” she gave a sly smile, “What’s your act?”

“I don’t have an act.”

“Everyone has an act,” she smirked and turned to walk away from him.

He was about to step forward to follow her, when John’s hand came down on his shoulder, “We have a lot of talent here, Oliver,” he said, “We could really use someone like you to get the word out there.”

Oliver nodded slowly as he watched Felicity. She glanced back at him for only a moment before turning back to her partner and her practice. _Felicity_. A beautiful name for a beautiful woman.

Could he really leave his life, his job, and possibly his family behind for this world? He glanced around at all of them. Smiles abound, laughter, and an atmosphere that told him they were more of a family than co-workers. Didn’t he deserve a chance to be happy? A chance to be free?

“What percentage would I get?” he asked.

“Seven,” John said without hesitation.

Oliver mulled it over, “Twelve.”

“Nine.”

He rolled his eyes, “Ten.”

John chuckled, “Alright,” he smacked his hand down against his shoulder. He turned to face Oliver, “Welcome to the family,” he held his hand out to him again. 

Welcome to the family.

Oliver cracked a small smile, “Thanks,” he shook his hand.

* * *

Oliver signed on with the circus. It wasn’t until the next morning when he was rolling out of bed with a hangover that he realized what he had done. The dream he had about the most amazing blue eyes and the sweetest smile made him feel a little less bad, but not by much. He had to march himself into Queen Productions and quit. Had to tell his mother what he was doing. It wasn’t going to be pretty.

He couldn’t tell if the time he spent leaning over the toilet, losing the contents of his stomach was from anxiety, the hangover, or both.

Oliver forced himself to brush his teeth and get dressed. He skipped the suit and went for a pair of jeans and a t-shirt instead. His mother would be thrilled. Part of him was getting enjoyment at the thought of getting under her skin in different ways. He knew it was all going to come back to bite him in the ass, but he deserved better than what she had been giving him for years. He worked hard for her. Spent his life doing what he could to make her happy and helped keep the company going. But she was ungrateful. She constantly used him as a scapegoat. He was miserable and now he was going to have a chance to change his life.

He carried a box inside of his office and started to pack up his small amount of things. When he was finished he walked up to his mother’s office with his stuff.

“Oliver?” she made his name a question.

“I quit.”

“Excuse me?”

“I quit,” he repeated.

“Where are you going to go? What are you going to do? This family and this company is all you have.”

Not, we need you. I love you. No, _this company is all you have_.

“I have other business prospects,” he said.

“Don’t you dare lie to me, Oliver.”

Anger boiled inside of him. He apparently wasn’t good enough to have other job opportunities presented to him. It was the circus, but so what? It was better than this.

“Goodbye, mother,” he turned away from her.

“If you walk out that door, that’s it,” she said, “You cannot leave us like this without consequences.”

He ignored her and kept walking. If they cut him off, he didn’t care. He had money saved. He didn’t need the trust fund; he didn’t need their credit cards.

Oliver Queen was running away to the circus and he wasn’t going to look back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> let me know what you think!
> 
> tumblr & twitter: felicityollies


	6. Alone Together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> they’re finally spending time together holy hell ;)

Felicity watched Oliver walk in the next morning. He looked much different dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. She pursed her lips and told herself not to notice. Yeah right. It was difficult not to notice how handsome _The Prince_ was. She shook her head and stretched out her legs on the floor. Her toes pointed forward as she reached towards them, stretching out both her legs and her back.

Felicity’s eyes wandered over Oliver again. He walked across the floor towards Diggle’s office. She doubted he would actually have a big part in the circus. More like a silent partner, but if he could bring in more people, she supposed it didn’t matter.

“Stop staring at him,” Dinah whispered closed to her ear.

Felicity startled.

Dinah chuckled evilly.

“You’re the one that put me in charge of schmoozing the new guy.”

“I’m pretty sure that doesn’t involve staring at his butt as he walks away.”

Felicity’s ears and cheeks turned red with a blush, “I wasn’t.”

“Mhmm.”

“Whatever,” she sighed, “I don’t trust him.”

Dinah deflated, “I’m not sure I do either, but he’s our best bet.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Don’t scare him off,” Dinah flicked her behind the ear before quickly walking away.

Felicity grumbled loudly. There was a reason she didn’t trust him and it wasn’t just because was a strange man in her family’s territory. She had a hard time trusting anyone. Her father had a hand in that, but it wasn’t important now. What was important was stretching and rehearsal. But if Dinah was going to run away, then she was going to be practicing on her own.

Actually, there weren’t many people up that morning at all. She knew Rene slept in a lot, unless Zoe was visiting from her mom’s place. The circus show lasted late into the evening and most of the performers were so wired, they didn’t sleep until well past midnight, so really it wasn’t unusual not to see anyone this early. Maybe she was just being nervous and paranoid about being alone with Oliver. They didn’t do this to her on purpose.

“Yes they did,” she whined, closing her eyes and leaning her head back, “They left me here all alone.”

“You’re not alone.”

“Ahh!” she startled for the second time, scrambling away from Oliver.

He startled right back, leaning away from her.

They stared at each other for a long moment before she spoke again, “You scared me.”

“I see that,” he sighed, “I didn’t mean to.”

Oliver held his hand down to her. She looked at it as if it were some strange foreign object. He frowned and she relented, taking his hand and pulling herself to her feet. She stood in front of him in her leggings, crop top, and pretty much nothing else, feeling a little bare. It was best not to have too many clothes to get in the way of her acrobatics, but still.

He rubbed the back of his neck, “Sorry.”

“It’s fine,” she mumbled, “What are you doing out here? Don’t you have…. business stuff to do?”

“John said it would be best to get to know the circus… and the performers.”

“Oh he did, did he?”

He frowned again, making such a confused and broody face. She sighed because it wasn’t his fault she was aggravated at John. It wasn’t his fault, she didn’t trust him either. She shook her head and motioned him to follow her.

“Let’s go,” she said.

“Where are we going?”

“The grand tour.”

He walked faster, moving to walk side by side with her. She let him past the entrance of the performers. when the show started, all of them came rushing out in a flood of colors and excitement. Music, dance, juggling, baton twirling, and so much more. It all happened and once and it always elicited a barrage of squeals and cheers.

Her bare feet stepped lightly over the ground and past the entrance. They were met with a loud roar of a lion. Behind the stage sat the cages for the animals. They were large enough for the lions to have enough room to pace and roam. The big cats were the only animals they had at the moment, but once upon a time there were elephants in the act. She told Oliver so.

“That’s amazing,” he said, watching the lions warily.

She looked at him with amusement, “They aren’t going to eat you.”

“I know that.”

Felicity walked up to the cage, “This is Fitz,” she stood in front of a large male, “He was rescued from poachers and raised here,” she pressed the back of her hand against the cage and Fitz snuffled it, “I’m sorry I don’t have any meat.”

The large cat huffed at her as if it were offended.

“Digg is working on an outdoor enclosure, but we’re worried because there’s been people from PETA around here. We don’t want anyone kidnapping them,” she nodded towards the female lion, “That’s his sister Ada.”

Oliver watched her with awe in his eyes, but she didn’t know why. She hadn’t done anything.

“We take really good care of them. They’re happy and healthy. And Rene never actually whips them. It’s all for show.”

Felicity watched him walk towards Ada. He did the same as she, pressing the back of his hand against the cage and letting Ada snuffle him.

“They seem like fat and happy domesticated cats,” he chuckled.

Ada growled at him.

He scrambled back.

“Never call a lady fat, Oliver.”

“Wasn’t meant as an insult,” he mumbled, slowly moving towards Felicity.

She giggled and grabbed onto his arm, “Let’s go this way.”

As she moved forward, she let him out another door. The next room was smaller. Mirrors and vanities sat around the room. Bright lights illuminated each one. Costumes and props were hung in various parts of the room.

“This is where we get ready,” she noticed she was still holding onto him and quickly let go.

“Well, I definitely remember this little number,” he gestured towards her costume. 

She felt her cheeks turning pink, “Yep. Glad to have made an impression on you.”

He rubbed the back of his neck and smiled, “It was…. stunning. You were stunning, I mean.”

“Rule number one in this place,” she said, “Sentence fragments are my thing.”

He grinned wider.

“And thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Felicity didn’t think it was going to be so easy to talk to him. To spend time with him. It wasn’t supposed to be. He was supposed to be some spoiled brat. But he was kind and fun, he was handsome to boot. She found herself wanting to know about _him_.

She cleared her throat and continued, “Upstairs are the bedrooms,” she said, “And you already saw Digg’s office… oh and down that hallway is the kitchen.”

“A very important room.”

“Do you cook?”

“Sort of…” he said.

“If you did… it might be a sure fire way to make everyone love you,” she teased.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tell me what you think!
> 
> tumblr & twitter: felicityollies


	7. We're Bound to Break

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and i’m back with this story... i’ll just say that everyone makes mistakes... oliver just makes them more frequently than some people.

Felicity hung at the bend of her knees. She reached back, touching the tips of her bare toes. She was several feet in the air, but not as high as she usually was for her show. He could never imagine how it felt to be that high off the ground. She did it with grace and poise, as if nothing bothered her. He swallowed thickly, watching her bend and move as she practiced. Her tall ponytail swished in the air while she hung completely upside down. She wore a tight purple sports bra and matching pants. They seemed like they were painted on her body.

She changed position, hanging just from one leg.

Their eyes met across the room. He held her gaze as she suddenly dropped from her knee to her ankle. She held herself up with her heel and ankle. Nothing more. The smirk on her lips told him she was playing with him. He stayed where he was, arms crossed, and back against a wall.

Oliver had already spoken to John that morning. They were working on a plan to get the show more promotion and bigger audiences. He had ideas, but he wasn’t sure if they were going to work right away. He wanted to help these people, though he barely knew them. It was a better job than what he had been doing previously.

Still, he found himself wondering if he really belonged there. He wasn’t like them. 

Felicity pulled herself up. She sat in her hoop, looking like an angel. Oliver let out a shaky breath. He knew the biggest reason he was there was Felicity. She was beautiful, stunning, sweet, and funny. He wanted to know more about her. He wanted to know everything about her, but was this a real reason to stay?

“You can’t spend all your time staring at her.”

“Not all my time…” he said slowly, barely realizing someone was actually speaking to him. He startled and pulled away from the wall.

Rene laughed.

“What do you want?” Oliver huffed.

Rene’s smile slid from his face, “You better be here to help us,” he muttered.

“I am.”

“Doesn’t look it,” he snapped, “It looks like you’re here to get into her pants.”

“I’m here to help,” Oliver hissed, “Look, your boss asked me to come here so I did. I’m doing my job and it has nothing to do with Felicity.”

“Every damn one of us can see the way you look at her.”

Oliver clenched his fists, “I’m not doing anything wrong.”

A loud whistle pulled their attention away.

Felicity stood there with her hands on her hips, “What are you two doing?”

Oliver straightened his back and relaxed his hands, “Nothing.”

“Just havin’ a chat,” Rene started to walk away.

As soon as he was gone, Felicity shook her head, “Don’t mind him. His daughter is officially a teenager and he’s been stressing out,” she laughed.

He relaxed a little more, “Oh.”

Her eyes moved over him, a quick flicker up and down, “Were you enjoying the show?”

“No.”

She raised a brow.

“I mean… I wasn’t watching you.”

She laughed again; it was a sweet lilting sound.

“You’re amazing,” he sighed.

“That’s better,” she reached her hand out to him, “C’mon, let’s get something to eat.”

He stared at her hand for a moment.

“I’m not going to bite.”

He smiled, taking her hand in his. Her skin was soft, but her grip was strong. Even if he hadn’t seen her at work, he would have known just by her hands that she was a hard worker. There were a few rough spots, calloused, but he could tell she lotioned often to keep soft.

“What are we eating?” he asked.

“Hotdogs. You rich people do eat hotdogs, right?”

He chuckled, “I haven’t in awhile.”

“These are the best in town.”

Felicity slipped on her shoes and led him outside. They walked across the street towards a small vendor. A small man with abnormally large glasses smiled up at them. He was round in face and body and there was barely any hair on top of his head anymore. His smile was bright and kind.

“Hello, Felicity,” he said in a higher pitched voice than Oliver was expect.

“Hi Elijah,” she said cheerily, “These are also the only kosher beef dogs in the area.”

Elijah nodded, “Best beef dogs on this side of Star City.”

“Best beef dogs in the city, you mean,” she said.

“There is a reason you are my favorite customer,” he laughed.

Oliver watched the exchange, wondering how he had missed out on these kinds of things in his life. He couldn’t remember having pleasant conversations like this with people in the restaurants his parents took him to or even the stores. Elijah was kind and obviously knew a thing or two about customer services.

“If it wasn’t for Felicity, I might have gone out of business,” Elijah said, “She talked all her circus friends into eating here!”

“And Digg liked the hot dogs so much that during shows, he lets Elijah sell out front,” she nodded.

“I have told you, you’re amazing lately?” Oliver asked.

“You might have mentioned it, but I’ll never get tired of hearing it.”

“What a cute couple,” Elijah said.

“What?” Felicity squeaked, “We’re not. He’s not. I mean…. two dogs with everything on it.”

Elijah laughed and started to get the food ready. He handed them each a hot dog piled with onions, tomatoes, and jalapenos.

“Thank you,” she paid the man and nodded back towards the circus.

They stood in front of the building. Felicity stared at him, waiting for him to take a bite. He bit down on the hotdog and was met with a myriad of flavors. The savory beef, a hint of sweet from the tomatoes, bitter onion, and spicy jalapenos. All of them mixed together created a delightful party on his tongue.

“Mmm this is great,” he said after he swallowed, “Best hotdog I’ve ever had,” he told her honestly.

“I knew it,” she took a large bite of her own hotdog.

Being with Felicity was so easy. She was interesting without being a circus performer. So sweet and fun. He loved talking to her and just being with her. He’d never experienced something like this before. Her laugh made him smile. Her presence gave him butterflies. He never expected to feel like a school boy with a crush again, but here he was.

“Ollie?” a familiar voice spoke.

Oliver nearly choked on his hotdog. He turned and saw Tommy and Laurel, standing in front of them.

“When I heard you quit your job to join the circus, I thought they were kidding,” Tommy laughed.

“Maybe you should go back inside,” he whispered to Felicity.

“Why?” she frowned.

“Just because… it would be better.”

“Who’s this?” Tommy continued.

“No one,” Oliver blurted out, “She was just leaving.”

“Excuse me?” Felicity snapped, “You’re damn right I’m leaving.”

Oliver knew he had screwed up. There was more than anger in Felicity’s face. She looked genuinely hurt. Shit.

“That was painful,” Laurel muttered.

“She seemed familiar,” Tommy said.

Oliver rubbed the back of his neck.

“The Starling! Dude…”

“Why did you want her to meet us?” Laurel asked, “You think we’re going to be mean to your circus girlfriend?”

He glared at her, “That’s exactly what I think.”

They stared at him.

“If you’ve come all this way to talk shit about my new job and the people I’m working with, then leave.”

“Oliver…” Tommy said, “I wasn’t… I didn’t mean any harm.”

“We just wanted to check on you,” Laurel said and then added, “Okay, he wanted to check up on you.”

Oliver let out a long breath. It wasn’t their fault. They really hadn’t done anything, but he sent Felicity away to, what? Protect her? Or protect himself. He wasn’t sure, but he knew he wasn’t embarrassed to be seen with Felicity. He could stand up to Tommy and Laurel about the people he was working with, but what if he still couldn’t handle being associated with the circus. He had once been a well respected businessman and now he was here. Oliver was confused and he was taking it out on Tommy and Laurel.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled quietly.

“I get it,” Tommy said, “But maybe you should turn that apology towards her,” he pointed to the front door where Felicity had gone, “I don’t know that much about women, but I do know they don’t like being called nobodies.”

“True,” Laurel added.

“Shit.”

“Go in there,” Tommy smacked his hand on Oliver’s shoulder, “We’ll come back… and maybe next time you’ll introduce us.”

“Yeah…”

Oliver didn’t wait another moment. He went back inside to look for Felicity; he was stopped by Dinah and Rene.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Dinah snapped.

“She doesn’t want to see you, man,” Rene said.

“But I need to apologize. I know I was an idiot.”

“Leave her alone,” Dinah glared daggers at him.

He put his hands up in surrender, “Okay.”

Dammit. He really did like Felicity, but now he had screwed it all up. He was a moron. A colossal moron. He wasn’t sure what to do, but he knew whatever it was didn’t involve staying there with them. He turned and left again. Tommy and Laurel were already gone. Maybe it was time to take a stop at Carlyle’s again. 

Three shots of whiskey down and he was wondering if he should bother going back. Not just because he had hurt Felicity, but because he didn’t belong there. He didn’t fit in with the rest of the circus folk. They were a tight knit family and he was invading. He was going to end up crawling back to his mother and begging for his job back. Great. 

“What are you even doing back here, kid?” Phil asked. 

“Screwed up.” 

“How so?”

“Made the women I…. made someone hate me in a matter of four seconds flat and probably ruined my new job.” 

“Women,” Phil sighed, cleaning out a glass and putting it away, “My wife was a spitfire when I met her. Still is. She and I didn’t get along that well to begin with,” he chuckled and coughed, “It was love at first sight for me and she… well she took some time comin’ around.” 

Oliver toyed with his shot glass, “You ever do anything to piss her off?” 

“Oh yeah,” Phil gave a softer laugh this time, “Especially in the beginning. You gotta find your footing with each other.” 

He sighed heavily. 

“Apologize to her. Give her a reason to give you another chance,” he wiped down the millionth glass of the night. 

“How do I do that?” 

“That’s for you to figure out, kid. Each person is different.” 

That was fair, but he didn’t have to like it. 

The bell on the door jingled, but he didn’t look up. Suddenly a hand came down on his shoulder and squeezed, “Time to come back,” John said. 

Oliver didn’t move, “They all hate me.” 

Phil moved further down the bar, giving them space. 

“You’re the new kid, you’re bound to screw up. Come back.” 

“Shouldn’t you fire me for drinking in the middle of the afternoon.” 

“You want me to?” 

“No.” 

“Then come back to work,” he said, “You can hide in my office today.” 

Oliver sighed again, “Okay.” 

By the time they got back, everyone was back to practicing. Oliver kept his head down and walked all the way back to the office. He was good with hiding, but he wasn’t sure how much work John expected him to do. He was feeling a little buzzed. Oliver leaned back in John’s desk chair and rubbed his hands down his face. His gaze fell on two tickets on Digg’s desk. He plucked them up. 

_Living Computers Museum_

There was a note underneath. 

_**She likes technology :)** _

Oliver shook his head. So, this was how he was going to apologize. Now if he could only find a way to talk to her.


End file.
